New Femininities in Modern Picture Books: Empowered Women and the Elevation of Inspirational Figures

The present article analyzes Catalan picture books that project and elevate the female figure via supposedly strategic, intentional narrative patterns. The present-day corpus of this particular kind ofliterature has recently seen unprecedented growth, with paradigmatic titles topping sales charts and filling bookstore windows. Broadly speaking, two major thematic lines can be found in children' s books with textualities related to so-called new femininities. On the one hand, there is a line similar to that of co-education, a modern trend that is based on a plethora of examples underpinned by literary education that promotes a discourse focusing on clever, ardent female empowerment, reversing, reformulating, and even transgressing roles and stereotypes traditionally associated with women. On the other hand, we see a notable contingent of nonfiction books that aim to recoup historical figures, give value to significant modern inspirational figures, and promote new idolatries.